Preparing to cover the NATO / G8 meetings

To paraphrase former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, there are a lot of “known unknowns” about the coming G-8 and NATO summits that will bring dozens of world leaders and possibly thousands of protesters to Chicago for the weekend of May 19-21.

How much will security and preparations for the overlapping meetings cost, and how will the city get the federal government to pay for it? How many demonstrators will show up? What will the police reaction be? What kind of restrictions or inconveniences will residents, employers, workers and tourists face?

Readers want those answers, and the newspaper is trying to get them. In recent days, we’ve looked at the concerns of business leaders and property managers, as well as those of protesters and security professionals. City leaders say the summits will be a terrific showcase to burnish Chicago’s international reputation. They are playing down the possibility of down sides ranging from traffic inconveniences and closed stores to violent protests and mass arrests.

More stories are planned on the impact – both short-term and long-term, for the Chicago area. We have journalists focused on these questions and we look forward to giving you the answers.